Parables of Pope Therentius
Origins The Priests of Discerning Light were an ancient Thalassian order of light-wielding warriors. Dedicated to the discovery and preservation of knowledge, the order was known for its philosophers in the fields of morality and ethics. Sadly, the order was eradicated during the fall of Silvermoon in the Third War, though many of their written works endure in the libraries of Silvermoon and in the private collections of the bibliophiles of Azeroth. Among the remaining works, the Parables of Pope Therentius is perhaps the most reproduced. This tome is a collection of parables penned by Therentius Dawnweaver, patriarch of Houses Dawnblade and Dawnwarden. In it, he explores a number of topics he believed to be central to the teachings of the Light. The Parable of Conviction A story about a goblin trade prince. This parable admonishes the weakness of a faith without a firm foundation. The tropical waters of the South Seas are littered with a number of islands, and those islands are littered with little green creatures called goblins. A young race, and having only recently bucked the shackles of their despicable troll overlords, these little men demonstrate a proclivity for industry that perhaps surpasses even that of the gnomes. They live in a strange amalgamation of opulence and squalor, with a perpetual haze of defilement hanging heavy in the air. To escape this miasma, they build grand resorts on the many islands scattered about their homelands, owned and managed by an upper caste that call themselves "Trade Princes." Once upon a time, there was a trade prince that fashioned himself the Baron of Resorts. Wherever his competitors built a resort, he built a better one. News came to him one day that an enterprising young goblin had built a resort on a small island in the Bay of Salt. To call it an island was a stretch, for the resort stood on what, in truth, amounted to a large rock surrounded by a bit of sand. Not one to let an upstart stand unchallenged, the Baron of Resorts immediately began plans for his own resort, a grand affair to be built on the sands surrounding his aspiring rival. It was erected swiftly and, true to reputation, boasted peerless luxury. The King of Resorts threw a gala to celebrate his success. Whilst carousing, news came to him that a great storm had disturbed the waters of the Bay. While the original resort stood strong upon its bed of rock, the Baron's resort had crumbled as the sands beneath it shifted. Undeterred, plans were promptly drawn for a new resort, to incorporate the latest in architectural knowledge for a more stable structure. Steel was mined, laborers were contracted and the new building stood proudly with barely a week gone by. Satisfied, the Baron threw another gala, grander than the last, to celebrate his success. It was as he feasted that news reached him of a small quake of the earth beneath the waters of the bay. His resort stood strong, reinforced as it was, but the sand beneath it had shifted yet again, and the great structure had toppled upon its side. Irate, the Baron called upon his very best architects. He set them to the task of building a great metal scaffold to stand in the bay next to the island, so that the shifting of the sands could not unseat his grand resort. After months of labor, the resort finally stood. Hesitant to make a fool of himself a third time, the Baron waited to hold the gala in its honor. First, a storm pummeled the bay, yet the resort stood. Then a quake shook the earth, yet the resort stood. Finally, a great wave flooded the bay and hurled itself against the island, yet the resort still stood. Fears assuaged, the Baron planned his grandest gala yet, to be held on the eve of the resort's one-year anniversary. Trade princes gathered en masse to celebrate at the courtesy of the Baron. The night was long and full of revelry, and it was not until the Baron retired to his rooms at the first light of dawn when news reached him. The salt of the Bay had eaten away the supports of the scaffolding, and the entire resort had tumbled into the ocean. Chastised, the Baron relented and purchased the original resort, replacing it with his own. Many a storm has railed against it in the decades hence, but it stands to this day, for it was built upon a bed of rock and its foundation is firm. The Parable of Honesty A story about a Human tyrant. This parable asserts that the most dangerous of lies are those we tell to ourselves. The Parable of Culpability A story about a lonely kobold. This parable emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility. The Parable of the Shrewd & Kind Sages A story about two village elders. This parable examines the dichotomy of logos and pathos, and affirms that a good decision is one rooted in both rational thought and spiritual empathy. Category:Stories Category:Horde